Syracuse basketball fends off late Monmouth comeback

Syracuse men’s basketball nearly blew a 14-point lead as Monmouth came close in the final seconds of the game. Yet, the Orange held on for a 78-73 win to remain undefeated. 

The conversation around the Orange centered on their defense heading into Tuesday night’s game. In their first three games, SU ranked as one of the nation’s top defensive teams, leading in scoring defense (46.7), field-goal percentage defense (.284) and 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.160). Offensively, they dominated Binghamton, Delaware State and Drexel, winning each game decisively by 30 points or more. 

This stellar early-season performance had the Orange favored to beat the Hawks significantly. However, that dominance did not show on Tuesday night in the JMA Wireless Dome. 

The first half showcased a dull performance from the Orange, shooting just 12-29 on field goals and 3-11 on 3-pointers. The teams went back-and-forth, with six ties and 10 lead changes to finish out the first half with Syracuse leading 36-33. 

The Orange came out strong in the second half, charging ahead to take a 67-53 lead with under six minutes remaining. After trailing by 14 points, the Hawks went on a 7-0 run, and eventually cut the Orange lead to two with 36 seconds left in the game. Hawks forward Jason Rivera-Torres missed a three-pointer with seconds left to move the Orange to 4-0.

“It was the first game that we faced this year with that adversity,” head coach Adrian Autry said. “So to be able to pull it out, that’s a good encouraging sign.”

The Hawks’ defense held freshman guard Kiyan Anthony to just seven points, including three in the first half, while he made just 1-7 shots. Anthony averaged 17.3 points coming into Tuesday’s game and proved himself to be a valuable player on the roster. 

“This was the first game that a team had a plan for him (Anthony),” Autry said. “[Monmouth] really made him pass the ball and get the ball out. They made it tough for him to finish. They did a good job making him work a little bit more.” 

Monmouth and Syracuse played very physical games, racking up 58 free throws combined. 

The Orange struggled from the foul line, shooting 19-33 (57%). Four different Syracuse players went to the line and missed both in the second half. Autry said he believed that if his team had made a couple more free throws, they would’ve won by a larger margin, but overall, he isn’t concerned about it.

“If we made some of our free throws, the game would have been a little bit different,” Autry said. “It really didn’t come down to free throws, it was really about our energy, and too many inconsistent defensive efforts. That’s really what I’m concerned about.” 

Autry made the team’s energy a priority this season and that was what separated the first three games from Tuesday night’s performance. 

“I don’t think that energy was there consistently,” Autry said. “That was the difference. When our energy is there and our focus is there you know that makes the difference.”

Senior guard J.J. Starling returned to the starting lineup Tuesday night after being out with a right leg injury from the first 3 minutes of their season opener against Binghamton. Starling finished with 11 points after starting slow at the beginning.

“There’s a little rust given the fact that I haven’t played a real game yet,” Starling said. “I don’t think I prepared the way I should have, which led to me being timid both offensively and defensively. So moving forward, I’m going to make sure my preparation is better.” 

Sophomore forward Donnie Freeman led the offensive effort for the Orange with 18 points to secure the victory. 

The Orange travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, over Thanksgiving break to compete in the Players Era Festival, opening with back-to-back games against ranked opponents. Syracuse faces No. 2 Houston on Monday at 6 p.m., followed by No. 24 Kansas on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Their opponent for Game 3 will be determined after the first two. 

These two teams will be the strongest the Orange have faced so far this season, but Anthony is confident the team can make a statement. 

“I’m excited more than anything just to go out there and show everybody what we’ve been working on,” he said. “We could definitely get one of those games, if not both of them out in Vegas. The main goal is to win, no matter who’s playing good or what’s going on.”